Author: Michele Zackheim
Stars: 4
Review by: KM
I usually gravitate toward lighter reads, but the story caught me enough to decide to read it. Woman from the American West becomes a well-known journalist during Hitler's rise to power. She works in Europe, and despite her Jewish heritage, even goes to Germany and falls in love. Also very interesting that the author interweaves the true story of her own cousin's kidnapping in Paris within the novel.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys?
Author: Billy Crystal
Stars: 5
Review by: KM
What's not to like? Humor, heart, and exciting tales. I enjoyed spending time with his story this summer. :-)
Stars: 5
Review by: KM
What's not to like? Humor, heart, and exciting tales. I enjoyed spending time with his story this summer. :-)
April and Oliver
Author: Tess Callahan
Stars: 2
Review by: ADAR
I listened to it in the car. Probably if I was reading it, I might not have finished.
Stars: 2
Review by: ADAR
I listened to it in the car. Probably if I was reading it, I might not have finished.
Blackbeard's Ghost
Author: Ben Stahl
Stars: 3
Review by: Jambob
I always look for movies to entertain my grandchildren. Blackbeard's Ghost is a fun entertaining Disney movie from the 70s starring Dean Jones, Suzzanne Pleschette and Peter Ustinov as the scurvey pirate himself. So I found the original story in a book. Strangely the book bears very little resemblance to the movie. The movie is full of Disney magic, forget the book!
Stars: 3
Review by: Jambob
I always look for movies to entertain my grandchildren. Blackbeard's Ghost is a fun entertaining Disney movie from the 70s starring Dean Jones, Suzzanne Pleschette and Peter Ustinov as the scurvey pirate himself. So I found the original story in a book. Strangely the book bears very little resemblance to the movie. The movie is full of Disney magic, forget the book!
The Excellent 11: Qualities Teachers and Parents Use to Motivate, Inspire, and Educate Children
Author: Ron Clark
Stars: 2
Review by: Saraswati
This is another text book I had to read for my class. Ron Clark is "that teacher." He transformed an inner NYC to movie quality. This is one of his books. It reads like a typical motivational/inspirational book. I almost got a feeling I was reading "Chicken Soup for the Tired Teacher." I did pick up a few new ideas to use in my classroom next year so I guess it was worth it but most of already know the basics. It worked for him, his situation and he is banking on it. There are so many more teachers doing something so similar but just doesn't happen. I plan to use this book as a reminder of what can be if things aren't working out but I also know I am not Ron Clark. If anyone else has read this book, tell me what you think!
Stars: 2
Review by: Saraswati
This is another text book I had to read for my class. Ron Clark is "that teacher." He transformed an inner NYC to movie quality. This is one of his books. It reads like a typical motivational/inspirational book. I almost got a feeling I was reading "Chicken Soup for the Tired Teacher." I did pick up a few new ideas to use in my classroom next year so I guess it was worth it but most of already know the basics. It worked for him, his situation and he is banking on it. There are so many more teachers doing something so similar but just doesn't happen. I plan to use this book as a reminder of what can be if things aren't working out but I also know I am not Ron Clark. If anyone else has read this book, tell me what you think!
What Every Teacher Should Know About Student Motivation, 2nd ed.
Author: Donna Walker Tileston
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is another text book I had to read for my class. Ironically, I was motivated to really reading it. I learned the difference between rewards and celebrations and how to do better things for my classroom. It was an easy read with a lot of information to think about. I am glad I took this class and read this book!
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is another text book I had to read for my class. Ironically, I was motivated to really reading it. I learned the difference between rewards and celebrations and how to do better things for my classroom. It was an easy read with a lot of information to think about. I am glad I took this class and read this book!
Noble Destiny
Author: Katie MacAlister
Stars: 4
Review by: Saraswati
This is a republished book from 2003 but one I have not read. I haven't read MacAlister in a while and I really missed her campy humor. It was nice to see it in another setting than paranormal. There is some seriousness in the book when one defines love in the face of difficulty, but love wins out! It is a funny, easy summer read!
Stars: 4
Review by: Saraswati
This is a republished book from 2003 but one I have not read. I haven't read MacAlister in a while and I really missed her campy humor. It was nice to see it in another setting than paranormal. There is some seriousness in the book when one defines love in the face of difficulty, but love wins out! It is a funny, easy summer read!
About Last Night
Author: Ruthie Knox
Stars: 4
Review by: Saraswati
At first I thought this would be another "50 Shades" book but it was far from it. I got the book at 3am - don't ask - and finished by 5 am! It was just a fast, fun summer love story. A woman trying to restart her life falls "off the wagon" so to speak. In the process she finds herself in the world of a man she nicknamed "City." The flaw is that all these men are very wealthy and/or have a lot of influence. I think she would fall for him regardless of his wealth but at least this time it wasn't the deciding factor. Just enjoy!
Stars: 4
Review by: Saraswati
At first I thought this would be another "50 Shades" book but it was far from it. I got the book at 3am - don't ask - and finished by 5 am! It was just a fast, fun summer love story. A woman trying to restart her life falls "off the wagon" so to speak. In the process she finds herself in the world of a man she nicknamed "City." The flaw is that all these men are very wealthy and/or have a lot of influence. I think she would fall for him regardless of his wealth but at least this time it wasn't the deciding factor. Just enjoy!
One Plus One
Author: Jojo Moyes
Stars: 5
Review by: Judy
One Plus One is a well written book about family and love. I enjoyed Me Before You and this was just as good.
Stars: 5
Review by: Judy
One Plus One is a well written book about family and love. I enjoyed Me Before You and this was just as good.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Taken
Author: Barbara Freethy
Stars: 5
Review by: Kim H.
A real page turner. Barbara Freethy keeps the story ingesting and moving along.
Stars: 5
Review by: Kim H.
A real page turner. Barbara Freethy keeps the story ingesting and moving along.
Recovering Charles
Author: Jason F. Wright
Stars: 1
Review by: Woman on the Go
Stars: 1
Review by: Woman on the Go
I just picked up a new book that was reserved for me at the library . As suspected I couldn't put the book down. I finished it in two sittings. My favorite author - Jason F. Wright.
Unfortunately this book left me upset and having bad dreams. Not like the other books he wrote that I loved reading. This was very graphic. The book was fiction but the subject was very much still in the news. Most of the story took place in New Orleans just after Hurricane Katrina. Very sad story, unlike the previous books of his I have read. I was mentally shaken. I could not recommend this book, unless you like this kind of sadness. I found the ending very disappointing. I only as a rule read Romantic love stories. Had I known ahead of time what the content was I would have not read it. It only gets 1 star from me and that is because it was a very well written account of the sad event. I am still waiting for several of his other books to show up any day as I have them reserved. Oh well, On to the next book!
The Island
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Stars: 4
Review by: Barb
This was a nice summer "listen to" that I had downloaded to my cell phone. It continues my reading of summer novels about the Nantucket area. A nice simple story with no surprises and a couple of marginally whiny gals.
Stars: 4
Review by: Barb
This was a nice summer "listen to" that I had downloaded to my cell phone. It continues my reading of summer novels about the Nantucket area. A nice simple story with no surprises and a couple of marginally whiny gals.
The Firebird
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Stars: 4
Review by: Smudge
Two stories woven together. A fun read.
Stars: 4
Review by: Smudge
Two stories woven together. A fun read.
In the Company of Women
Author: Brenda Hunter, Ph. D.
Stars: 4
Review by: Brenda714
This non-fiction book deals with the relationships between women with a focus on mother-daughter and how that relationship affects other female relationships. While it helps one understand the cause-effect of the m-d relationship it does not attempt to fix, but gives examples of what good inter female relationships could look like.
Stars: 4
Review by: Brenda714
This non-fiction book deals with the relationships between women with a focus on mother-daughter and how that relationship affects other female relationships. While it helps one understand the cause-effect of the m-d relationship it does not attempt to fix, but gives examples of what good inter female relationships could look like.
Last to Know
Author: Elizabeth Adler
Stars: 5
Review by: bookhunter
Great summer read! Read it in one day - could not put it down.
Stars: 5
Review by: bookhunter
Great summer read! Read it in one day - could not put it down.
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
Author: Jan Philippe Sendker
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Sewing Teacher Chris
I liked it because of the mystical journey and love story. Others in book club did not.
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Sewing Teacher Chris
I liked it because of the mystical journey and love story. Others in book club did not.
Never Surrender
Author: Lindsay McKenna
Stars: 4
Review by: Saraswati
This was a rather intense read about a woman recovering from a bad situation during combat. It is a reminder of what our military go through so we can have what we have. Not every veteran is as lucky as this woman to have so much love to help her recover.
Stars: 4
Review by: Saraswati
This was a rather intense read about a woman recovering from a bad situation during combat. It is a reminder of what our military go through so we can have what we have. Not every veteran is as lucky as this woman to have so much love to help her recover.
Going Home Again
Author: Dennis Bock
Stars: 4
Review by: BigDa
Beautifully written, and capturing the conflicts of living.
Stars: 4
Review by: BigDa
Beautifully written, and capturing the conflicts of living.
Everything I Never Told You
Author: Celeste Ng
Stars: 4
Review by: ADAR
Author's first novel. Chinese-American family in the 1970s, small town in Ohio. Probably a very accurate picture of the times.
Stars: 4
Review by: ADAR
Author's first novel. Chinese-American family in the 1970s, small town in Ohio. Probably a very accurate picture of the times.
Ready Player One
Author: Ernest Cline
Stars: 4
Review by: Michelle D.
Calling all children of the 80s! Great, quick read about a billionaire who leaves his wealth to the winner of a scavenger hunt. Riddled with references to 80s pop culture stuff.
Stars: 4
Review by: Michelle D.
Calling all children of the 80s! Great, quick read about a billionaire who leaves his wealth to the winner of a scavenger hunt. Riddled with references to 80s pop culture stuff.
I, Michael Bennett
Author: James Patterson
Stars: 3
Review by: Ann M
Detective Michael Bennett put the drug lord, Manuel Perrine, behind bars. He then escaped and is seeking out Bennett's family to assassinate them.
Stars: 3
Review by: Ann M
Detective Michael Bennett put the drug lord, Manuel Perrine, behind bars. He then escaped and is seeking out Bennett's family to assassinate them.
The Bestseller
Author: Olivia Goldsmith
Stars: 4
Review by: 1stYearInTheClub
A fun summer read with a lot to learn about the publishing industry.
Stars: 4
Review by: 1stYearInTheClub
A fun summer read with a lot to learn about the publishing industry.
The Divorce Papers
Author: Susan Rieger
Stars: 2
Review by: Miss Lucy
Epistolary novel told through emails, written notes, and legal documents, all pertaining to the main couple's divorce. It kept my interest for a while, but eventually I started to feel like I should be paid to read through minutely detailed legal correspondence.
Stars: 2
Review by: Miss Lucy
Epistolary novel told through emails, written notes, and legal documents, all pertaining to the main couple's divorce. It kept my interest for a while, but eventually I started to feel like I should be paid to read through minutely detailed legal correspondence.
Winter of the World
Author: Ken Follett
Stars: 5
Review by: Need to Read
Winter of the World by Ken Follett is the second book of a trilogy by Mr Follett. I am reading them out of order. I am wait listed for the first part, Fall of Giants. The third will be published in September, I think. A historical epic (early 1930's to late 1940's), Winter of the World revolves around the events leading up to WWII and the years shortly after the war ended. It is a real page turner (or, in my case, CD changer) with lots of action. Great book.
Stars: 5
Review by: Need to Read
Winter of the World by Ken Follett is the second book of a trilogy by Mr Follett. I am reading them out of order. I am wait listed for the first part, Fall of Giants. The third will be published in September, I think. A historical epic (early 1930's to late 1940's), Winter of the World revolves around the events leading up to WWII and the years shortly after the war ended. It is a real page turner (or, in my case, CD changer) with lots of action. Great book.
In the Company of Others
Author: Jan Karon
Stars: 5
Review by: Need to Read
In the Company of Others by Jan Karon is a Father Tom Novel. Ms Karon has written a series of books referred to as the Mitford novels and another series called the Father Tim Novels. All are based on Father Tim and his life as an Episcopal Priest in the village of Mitford and beyond. They are feel good books that bring joy to the reader. In the Company of Others is about the vacation Father Tim and his wife take in Ireland. An enjoyable read about the ups and downs of everyday life.
Stars: 5
Review by: Need to Read
In the Company of Others by Jan Karon is a Father Tom Novel. Ms Karon has written a series of books referred to as the Mitford novels and another series called the Father Tim Novels. All are based on Father Tim and his life as an Episcopal Priest in the village of Mitford and beyond. They are feel good books that bring joy to the reader. In the Company of Others is about the vacation Father Tim and his wife take in Ireland. An enjoyable read about the ups and downs of everyday life.
Good-bye Witch: A Wishcraft Mystery
Author: Heather Blake
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
I like this Blake series since it is light and whimsical even for a murder mystery cozy. This time the main character's best friend is being stalked by her ex-husband, or is she??? In any case, he turns up dead in her home and so the story takes off. It would be nice to think that some wishes do come true like in the book. Enjoy!
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
I like this Blake series since it is light and whimsical even for a murder mystery cozy. This time the main character's best friend is being stalked by her ex-husband, or is she??? In any case, he turns up dead in her home and so the story takes off. It would be nice to think that some wishes do come true like in the book. Enjoy!
Rainwater
Author: Sandra Brown
Stars: 4
Review by: Ann M
In the 1930's, Ella runs a boardinghouse. Her son, Solly, who has some issues, lives there as well. David Rainwater takes a room at the boardinghouse and brings a new dimension to their lives.
Stars: 4
Review by: Ann M
In the 1930's, Ella runs a boardinghouse. Her son, Solly, who has some issues, lives there as well. David Rainwater takes a room at the boardinghouse and brings a new dimension to their lives.
Runner
Author: Patrick Lee
Stars: 5
Review by: Bob E
Like the Aerosmith ride, goes zero to sixty in under four seconds. Mind boggingly brilliant.
Stars: 5
Review by: Bob E
Like the Aerosmith ride, goes zero to sixty in under four seconds. Mind boggingly brilliant.
Q Is for Quarry
Author: Sue Grafton
Stars: 4
Review by: Barb
My first time to read Sue Grafton after all these years. It is the August selection for the South County Book Group. I liked the story, the characters and the way it read. Now to begin with A.
Stars: 4
Review by: Barb
My first time to read Sue Grafton after all these years. It is the August selection for the South County Book Group. I liked the story, the characters and the way it read. Now to begin with A.
This Is Where I Leave You
Author: Jonathan Tropper
Stars: 3.5
Review by: mystery lover
About the ups and downs of life. Reminded me of a 1990's movie Steve Martin was in.
Stars: 3.5
Review by: mystery lover
About the ups and downs of life. Reminded me of a 1990's movie Steve Martin was in.
The Night Is Forever (Krewe of Hunters Novel)
Author: Heather Graham
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
I like the Krewe novels since they have mystery, intrigue and paranormal all mixed together. They are more complex than the average Cozy so it makes for nice summer reading. This is about the death of the leader of a Horse Therapy Farm. The majority of the people believe he just fell off the wagon and OD'ed. In comes the paranormal. His ghosts tells one of his workers that he was murdered and she needs to find out who did it. She calls up her cousin that works for the Krewe and so the investigation begins. The problem I saw with this read is that there is all this investigation and then everything seems rushed at the end. It read like the publishing deadline was due and the story had to end. Read it and let me know!
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
I like the Krewe novels since they have mystery, intrigue and paranormal all mixed together. They are more complex than the average Cozy so it makes for nice summer reading. This is about the death of the leader of a Horse Therapy Farm. The majority of the people believe he just fell off the wagon and OD'ed. In comes the paranormal. His ghosts tells one of his workers that he was murdered and she needs to find out who did it. She calls up her cousin that works for the Krewe and so the investigation begins. The problem I saw with this read is that there is all this investigation and then everything seems rushed at the end. It read like the publishing deadline was due and the story had to end. Read it and let me know!
The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Stars: 5+
Review by: Saraswati
I want to thank KM for posting the review that triggered my interest in getting this book. What was funny is that my Hubby put it on hold too and we wound up with 2 at the same time. In any case, this is Mr. Weir's first novel and it is about an Astronaut that gets stranded on Mars after a failed mission. Being the Science Geek that I am, I loved the science and thought process throughout this story. The engineering humor is wonderful. I sent word to all my fellow science teachers about this read. What a great book for a science based summer read. Enjoy!
Stars: 5+
Review by: Saraswati
I want to thank KM for posting the review that triggered my interest in getting this book. What was funny is that my Hubby put it on hold too and we wound up with 2 at the same time. In any case, this is Mr. Weir's first novel and it is about an Astronaut that gets stranded on Mars after a failed mission. Being the Science Geek that I am, I loved the science and thought process throughout this story. The engineering humor is wonderful. I sent word to all my fellow science teachers about this read. What a great book for a science based summer read. Enjoy!
The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic
Author: Hazel Gaynor
Stars: 4
Review by: Jambob
A poignant story based on fact. 14 immigrants from Addergoole Ireland make the leap of faith to journey to America on board the ship of dreams, the Titanic. I read a lot of factual Titanic books but this one touched my heart. Many books concentrate on its destruction, but this one made you feel as one of the desperate people waiting on the dock in New York straining to see the Carpathia berth with so few survivors, hoping that one of them is your loved one. Written with charm, hope and courage that honors the lives of those who sought out America as their future, knowing they would most likely never return to their homeland but had the misfortune of having a ticket for the Titanic.
Stars: 4
Review by: Jambob
A poignant story based on fact. 14 immigrants from Addergoole Ireland make the leap of faith to journey to America on board the ship of dreams, the Titanic. I read a lot of factual Titanic books but this one touched my heart. Many books concentrate on its destruction, but this one made you feel as one of the desperate people waiting on the dock in New York straining to see the Carpathia berth with so few survivors, hoping that one of them is your loved one. Written with charm, hope and courage that honors the lives of those who sought out America as their future, knowing they would most likely never return to their homeland but had the misfortune of having a ticket for the Titanic.
Double Down: Game Change 2012
Author: Mark Halperin & John Heileman
Stars: 5
Review by: Bob E
Prescient analysis of 2012 Presidential election revealing the behind-the-scenes activities not shown on Fox News or MSNBC that drove the election.
Stars: 5
Review by: Bob E
Prescient analysis of 2012 Presidential election revealing the behind-the-scenes activities not shown on Fox News or MSNBC that drove the election.
Deserves to Die
Author: Lisa Jackson
Stars: 4
Review by: Brenda714
The latest in the Montana "To Die" series. Another serial killer has come to the town of Grizzly Falls. There are enough plot twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Plus, a romantic complication in the life of one of the lead characters just to keep things interesting.
Stars: 4
Review by: Brenda714
The latest in the Montana "To Die" series. Another serial killer has come to the town of Grizzly Falls. There are enough plot twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Plus, a romantic complication in the life of one of the lead characters just to keep things interesting.
The Silkworm
Author: Robert Galbraith
Stars: 4
Review by: PKB
JK Rowling writing as RG in case you did not know. She is a good writer and this mystery had me guessing to the end. Love the character development and details.
Stars: 4
Review by: PKB
JK Rowling writing as RG in case you did not know. She is a good writer and this mystery had me guessing to the end. Love the character development and details.
Orphan Train
Author: Christina Baker Kline
Stars: 5
Review by: PKB
Great book, short but powerful. Last page made me tear up. A relationship between a seventeen year old in the foster program who meets a 91 year old woman while doing community service and the similarity of their lives.
Stars: 5
Review by: PKB
Great book, short but powerful. Last page made me tear up. A relationship between a seventeen year old in the foster program who meets a 91 year old woman while doing community service and the similarity of their lives.
The Competition
Author: Marcia Clark
Stars: 4
Review by: bookhunter
A school shooting, an investigation and lots of mayhem.
Stars: 4
Review by: bookhunter
A school shooting, an investigation and lots of mayhem.
Sundance
Author: David Fuller
Stars: 5
Review by: Karen P
If you've seen the Redford/Newman movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, you might enjoy this book as much as I did.
Stars: 5
Review by: Karen P
If you've seen the Redford/Newman movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, you might enjoy this book as much as I did.
And Then There Were None
Author: Agatha Christie
Stars: 4
Review by: libraryaimee
Stars: 4
Review by: libraryaimee
I listened to the audiobook and it was super creepy! Excellent reader...although I have to say that all the references to eating "tinned tongue" were the most horrifying parts!
Also, I was surprised in the beginning with quite a bit of antisemitism and racism during the character description parts. I wonder if the schools who use this as required summer reading address this aspect of the writing?
The Rose Garden
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Stars: 5
Review by: Smudge
A story of love, time travel, and belonging. Well told.
Stars: 5
Review by: Smudge
A story of love, time travel, and belonging. Well told.
Birdsong
Author: Sebastian Faulks
Stars: 2
Review by: ddlesmom
Stars: 2
Review by: ddlesmom
This book took off like a shot and I thought for sure I would devour it. It got extremely slow, picked up again, got slow again and dragged to the end. I found myself skipping whole paragraphs and not missing the story at all.
From Amazon "As the young Englishman Stephen Wraysford passes through a tempestuous love affair with Isabelle Azaire in France and enters the dark, surreal world beneath the trenches of No Man's Land, Sebastian Faulks creates a world of fiction that is as tragic as A Farewell to Arms and as sensuous as The English Patient. Crafted from the ruins of war and the indestructibility of love, Birdsong is a novel that will be read and marveled at for years to come."
I just didn't see it.
Almost Paradise
Author: Debbie Macomber
Stars: 2
Review by: Brenda714
One of her earlier works, it is aimed more for a teen reader than an adult. A bit of romance set at a summer camp.
Stars: 2
Review by: Brenda714
One of her earlier works, it is aimed more for a teen reader than an adult. A bit of romance set at a summer camp.
Afraid to Die
Author: Lisa Jackson
Stars: 4
Review by: Brenda714
Part of the Montana "To Die" series. It is definitely a stand alone as the author does quick updates so you understand previous history between the main characters. The 2 lead characters are female detectives in the town of Grizzly Falls. Afraid to Die deals with a serial killer that encases his victims in artistic ice sculptures. We have a bit of romance to keep the book interesting but the main thrust is the serial killer.
Stars: 4
Review by: Brenda714
Part of the Montana "To Die" series. It is definitely a stand alone as the author does quick updates so you understand previous history between the main characters. The 2 lead characters are female detectives in the town of Grizzly Falls. Afraid to Die deals with a serial killer that encases his victims in artistic ice sculptures. We have a bit of romance to keep the book interesting but the main thrust is the serial killer.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Author: Judy Blume
Stars: 4
Review by: laz
Stars: 4
Review by: laz
How did I miss this classic when I was a youngster?!? It's definitely a "must read" and I'm glad to have had the chance to read it to my own youngsters.
Fun, believable, cracks us up each night...a good read!
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters
Author: Timothy Keller
Stars: 4
Review by: laz
A great look at the things that distract us from what our focus should be...and a challenge to be realistic about what those distractions are.
Stars: 4
Review by: laz
A great look at the things that distract us from what our focus should be...and a challenge to be realistic about what those distractions are.
The Dinner
Author: Herman Koch
Stars: 5
Review by: Sue27
Highly Recommend. This book is very clever and yes, twisted & evil. The last quarter of the book is fabulous. Couldn't put it down.
Stars: 5
Review by: Sue27
Highly Recommend. This book is very clever and yes, twisted & evil. The last quarter of the book is fabulous. Couldn't put it down.
The Inn at Eagle Point
Author: Sherryl Woods
Stars: 3
Review by: Miss Lucy
Last year, so many people in the club read books by Sherryl Woods that I discovered a new author for myself. This year, though, I haven't seen any evidence of her books in the club. This is Book One of her Cheasapeake Shores Series. Nice, romantic beach read!
Stars: 3
Review by: Miss Lucy
Last year, so many people in the club read books by Sherryl Woods that I discovered a new author for myself. This year, though, I haven't seen any evidence of her books in the club. This is Book One of her Cheasapeake Shores Series. Nice, romantic beach read!
Outliers: The Story of Success
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Stars: 2
Review by: Sue27
This book is more like a magazine article with a few interesting ideas, expanded to book length. Gladwell plays very loose with social science and 'proof'. Disappointing.
Stars: 2
Review by: Sue27
This book is more like a magazine article with a few interesting ideas, expanded to book length. Gladwell plays very loose with social science and 'proof'. Disappointing.
Antigone
Author: Sophocles
Stars: 5
Review by: BookDancer
There is a reason why people are still reading and discussing this play, written nearly 2500 years ago. In spite of the extremely unfamiliar conventions of ancient Greek drama, it is riveting in its treatment of the timeless themes of familial loyalty, citizenship, civil disobedience and the power of religious fervor, as well as others. How awe-inspiring to reach across millennia and face individuals and a world very similar to our own.
Stars: 5
Review by: BookDancer
There is a reason why people are still reading and discussing this play, written nearly 2500 years ago. In spite of the extremely unfamiliar conventions of ancient Greek drama, it is riveting in its treatment of the timeless themes of familial loyalty, citizenship, civil disobedience and the power of religious fervor, as well as others. How awe-inspiring to reach across millennia and face individuals and a world very similar to our own.
Freud's Mistress
Author: Karen Mack & Jennifer Kaufman
Stars: 3
Review by: Amy R.
This historical fiction was entertaining, but the characters weren't as engaging as I would have liked.
Stars: 3
Review by: Amy R.
This historical fiction was entertaining, but the characters weren't as engaging as I would have liked.
Hearts Divided
Author:
Debbie Macomber, Lois Faye Dyer, & Katherine Stone
Stars: 4
Review by: E. L.
Three different stories by three authors about grandmothers and their grandaughters.
Stars: 4
Review by: E. L.
Three different stories by three authors about grandmothers and their grandaughters.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage
Author:
Molly Wizenberg
Stars: 2
Review by: Karen S
I listened to this on audio book with my husband and this book annoyed me. I guess it was an interesting story about starting a restaurant and hopefully killed that desire for my husband because she definitely paints a realistic picture and makes it sound not so glamorous. They both seemed so flighty though and this flightiness/impulsiveness just annoyed my Type A sentiments that really plans for things. Probably secretly jealous on some level, but just seemed to me like they had a trove of amazing friends to help out and became wildly successful at something that they half-assed got into.
Stars: 2
Review by: Karen S
I listened to this on audio book with my husband and this book annoyed me. I guess it was an interesting story about starting a restaurant and hopefully killed that desire for my husband because she definitely paints a realistic picture and makes it sound not so glamorous. They both seemed so flighty though and this flightiness/impulsiveness just annoyed my Type A sentiments that really plans for things. Probably secretly jealous on some level, but just seemed to me like they had a trove of amazing friends to help out and became wildly successful at something that they half-assed got into.
A Spoonful of Sugar: A Nanny's Story
Author:
Brenda Ashford
Stars: 2
Review by: Karen S
This was sweet and I loved the narrator, Nurse Brenda, BUT she was a little too good to be true and never talked about losing her temper or frustration with kids. Kept thinking how she would be the ultimate foster mom because she could shower the children with love, but then leave them and not look back. Inspired me and made me feel like a bad mom in parts all at the same time.
Stars: 2
Review by: Karen S
This was sweet and I loved the narrator, Nurse Brenda, BUT she was a little too good to be true and never talked about losing her temper or frustration with kids. Kept thinking how she would be the ultimate foster mom because she could shower the children with love, but then leave them and not look back. Inspired me and made me feel like a bad mom in parts all at the same time.
Our Lady of Immaculate Deception
Author:
Nancy Martin
Stars: 3
Review by: MidnightReader
Easy and enjoyable read with family, murders, quirky characters, and humor. I got a kick out of it!
Stars: 3
Review by: MidnightReader
Easy and enjoyable read with family, murders, quirky characters, and humor. I got a kick out of it!
A Long Time Gone
Author:
Karen White
Stars: 4
Review by: MidnightReader
I love books by Karen White. This book was inspired by her visits to Mississippi during her childhood summers. This story is about complicated relationships between mothers with a family mystery thrown in. I loved the story, the setting, and the writing.
Stars: 4
Review by: MidnightReader
I love books by Karen White. This book was inspired by her visits to Mississippi during her childhood summers. This story is about complicated relationships between mothers with a family mystery thrown in. I loved the story, the setting, and the writing.
Lone Wolf
Author:
Jodi Picoult
Stars: 4
Review by: MidnightReader
Picoult takes on medical science and family issues when she writes about a parent who is in a coma and the family, who already has unique problems, now needs to decide who makes medical decisions for the parent. Very real and an excellent read.
Stars: 4
Review by: MidnightReader
Picoult takes on medical science and family issues when she writes about a parent who is in a coma and the family, who already has unique problems, now needs to decide who makes medical decisions for the parent. Very real and an excellent read.
The Girls of August
Author:
Anne Rivers Siddons
Stars: 4.25
Review by: Barb
A real quick read in one day beach book of long time friendship and misjudging newcomers.
Stars: 4.25
Review by: Barb
A real quick read in one day beach book of long time friendship and misjudging newcomers.
Congratulations to...
... our Week # 9 prize winners:
- Woman on the Go
- LaPats11
- John Gavula
The Fever
Author:
Megan Abbott
Stars: 3
Review by: libraryaimee
A modern day Salem Witch Trial. I really liked it, but was a little let down by the ending. Very suspenseful...teen girls at a high school are taken down one-by-one by mysterious convulsions. Spooky!
Stars: 3
Review by: libraryaimee
A modern day Salem Witch Trial. I really liked it, but was a little let down by the ending. Very suspenseful...teen girls at a high school are taken down one-by-one by mysterious convulsions. Spooky!
Mamba in Chinatown
Author:
Jean Kwok
Stars: 4
Review by: ADAR
Good picture of ABC ( American Born Chinese) in NY present day. Good reader if you listen to it.
Stars: 4
Review by: ADAR
Good picture of ABC ( American Born Chinese) in NY present day. Good reader if you listen to it.
Loser
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Stars: 2
Review by: ADAR
Juvenile fiction. My granddaughter, going into 6th grade, was assigned this for summer reading. I had never read it. About a boy from first to 6th grade. Very appropriate for this grade level.
Stars: 2
Review by: ADAR
Juvenile fiction. My granddaughter, going into 6th grade, was assigned this for summer reading. I had never read it. About a boy from first to 6th grade. Very appropriate for this grade level.
The Financial Lives of the Poets
Author:
Jess Walter
Stars: 4
Review by: Nancy W
This is a funny book about a 40 something journalist, husband and father, caught in the down economy of the recent recession, which doesn't sound like a funny subject. At first, it seems to be praising the usage of marijuana, since in the first chapter, the main character runs into some young adults and smokes with them. But, keep reading. There are some surprises and a moral at the end. I guess it is that anything can happen and you will survive.
Stars: 4
Review by: Nancy W
This is a funny book about a 40 something journalist, husband and father, caught in the down economy of the recent recession, which doesn't sound like a funny subject. At first, it seems to be praising the usage of marijuana, since in the first chapter, the main character runs into some young adults and smokes with them. But, keep reading. There are some surprises and a moral at the end. I guess it is that anything can happen and you will survive.
Blossom Street Brides
Author:
Debbie Macomber
Stars: 5
Review by: Nancy W
This is a great summer read, easy and happy. It is about the intertwining lives of people who live and work in a pretty Seattle neighborhood. The characters are described well and their lives are believable. Blossom Street Brides is not about weddings, but about the relationships in the families.
Stars: 5
Review by: Nancy W
This is a great summer read, easy and happy. It is about the intertwining lives of people who live and work in a pretty Seattle neighborhood. The characters are described well and their lives are believable. Blossom Street Brides is not about weddings, but about the relationships in the families.
First Love
Author:
James Patterson
Stars: 4
Review by: bandit
Started out slow, couldn't tell where this story was going. Worth reading.
Stars: 4
Review by: bandit
Started out slow, couldn't tell where this story was going. Worth reading.
The Accident
Author:
Chris Pavone
Stars: 4
Review by: iambetsyw
An unauthorized biography of media mogul is being shopped around and the subject of the book will stop at nothing to prevent its publication. The characters are interconnected and know secrets that could ruin his reputation. If you like fast paced conspiracy theory themed books this will keep you guessing until the end.
Stars: 4
Review by: iambetsyw
An unauthorized biography of media mogul is being shopped around and the subject of the book will stop at nothing to prevent its publication. The characters are interconnected and know secrets that could ruin his reputation. If you like fast paced conspiracy theory themed books this will keep you guessing until the end.
The Hurricane Sisters
Author:
Dorothea Benton Frank
Stars: 4
Review by: bookhunter
Excellent story. Find out why they are the hurricane sisters.
Stars: 4
Review by: bookhunter
Excellent story. Find out why they are the hurricane sisters.
You Better Knot Die
Author:
Betty Hechtman
Stars: 3.5
Review by: E.L.
These Crochet Mystery books have a recipe or two and a crochet pattern in the back of the books.
Stars: 3.5
Review by: E.L.
These Crochet Mystery books have a recipe or two and a crochet pattern in the back of the books.
On Betty Hechtman website, you can see pictures of the projects.
Found
Author:
Margaret Haddix
Stars: 5
Review by: Shanimal
A well written mystery packed full of suspense.
Stars: 5
Review by: Shanimal
A well written mystery packed full of suspense.
I See You Made an Effort: Compliments, Indignities, and Survival Stories from the Edge of 50
Author:
Annabelle Gurwitch
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Miss Lucy
Books about getting older depress me, even when they are meant to be funny. (I guess if we don't laugh about it, we'll cry.) That's why I can' t give this book a 3 star rating (3 meaning "I enjoyed it"). This book contains lots of good ramblings on memory lapses and aging signs on one's body, in terms of both looks and health.
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Miss Lucy
Books about getting older depress me, even when they are meant to be funny. (I guess if we don't laugh about it, we'll cry.) That's why I can' t give this book a 3 star rating (3 meaning "I enjoyed it"). This book contains lots of good ramblings on memory lapses and aging signs on one's body, in terms of both looks and health.
One passage that particularly resonates is about Internet passwords:
"There's just no way I
can remember them all. This means I have to change my passwords on a
regular basis. However, some of the sites I visit won't accept the same
password more than ten times, and if I pick
something that isn't a repeat of one I've already used, then I can't
remember the new one. Sometimes, I can't remember my user name, so I
have to create new email accounts just to access those sites, and if I
forget the passwords to those new email addresses,
I'll never get back into them, if I can even remember what these new
email addresses are in the first place."
Another favorite passage describes something her friend does when she can't sleep:
"I make lists and more
lists. I make lists of the lists I need to make. I combine the lists
and prioritize them into one master list, but I realize I've forgotten
so many things that I start the whole process
all over again."
Down the Rabbit Hole
Author:
Peter Abrahams
Stars: 4
Review by: Bobbi
A fun light mystery told from the perspective of a 13 year old girl, whose idol is Sherlock Holmes and who gets herself into all kinds of debacles. Sort of a modern day Nancy Drew. An enjoyable read.
Stars: 4
Review by: Bobbi
A fun light mystery told from the perspective of a 13 year old girl, whose idol is Sherlock Holmes and who gets herself into all kinds of debacles. Sort of a modern day Nancy Drew. An enjoyable read.
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
Author:
Helen Rappaport
Stars: 4.5
Review by: Barb
Filled with history and facts this book still reads smoothly. I couldn't help but like these girls and the love they had for each other and family. The book, I believe, is more about family dynamics than the tragic fate awaiting them. This was a good read.
Stars: 4.5
Review by: Barb
Filled with history and facts this book still reads smoothly. I couldn't help but like these girls and the love they had for each other and family. The book, I believe, is more about family dynamics than the tragic fate awaiting them. This was a good read.
Everything to Lose
Author:
Andrew Gross
Stars: 2
Review by: Sarah F.
Not my favorite Andrew Gross book though it kept my attention.
Stars: 2
Review by: Sarah F.
Not my favorite Andrew Gross book though it kept my attention.
In the Presence of My Enemies
Author:
Gracia Burnham with Dean Merrill
Stars: 5
Review by: Amy
It was great to read how their relationship with God brought them through such a hard time!
Stars: 5
Review by: Amy
It was great to read how their relationship with God brought them through such a hard time!
Fante: A Family's Legacy of Writing, Drinking, and Surviving
Author:
Dan Fante
Stars: 3
Review by: BigDa
A factual and realistic biography of an alcoholic family.
Stars: 3
Review by: BigDa
A factual and realistic biography of an alcoholic family.
The Fault in Our Stars
Author:
John Green
Stars: 2
Review by: BigDa
Cancer...it's not your fault, the fault is in our stars.
Stars: 2
Review by: BigDa
Cancer...it's not your fault, the fault is in our stars.
Unsaid
Author: Neil Abramson
Stars: 4
Review by: mystery lover
I really like this book, but if anyone thinks this book is sad--the sad comes from the humans not being as they should, it takes all.
Stars: 4
Review by: mystery lover
I really like this book, but if anyone thinks this book is sad--the sad comes from the humans not being as they should, it takes all.
The Shortest Way Home
Author:
Juliette Fay
Stars: 5
Review by: KM
Superb writing, rich character development. A man who hits burn out after 20 years of working in war-torn areas as a nurse returns home. He is reluctantly drawn back into his family, going through significant changes, making discoveries, both about himself, family members, and friends, including a woman he knew well in high school. A beautiful story. The audio version is terrific.
Stars: 5
Review by: KM
Superb writing, rich character development. A man who hits burn out after 20 years of working in war-torn areas as a nurse returns home. He is reluctantly drawn back into his family, going through significant changes, making discoveries, both about himself, family members, and friends, including a woman he knew well in high school. A beautiful story. The audio version is terrific.
The Girls of August
Author:
Anne Rivers Siddons
Stars: 1
Review by: KM
Sounds like the perfect summer read, right? Well, no. I just looked at some reviews on Amazon and see I'm not alone in thinking it was poorly written. I was very surprised as I began reading it since on the back of the book there are glowing reviews by journals and other authors for her other books. I only read it to the end because I was curious to see if her writing would improve. There were a few spots that were better and some plot developments that were interesting. But it was rather akin to watching the aftermath of a car accident--morbid curiosity!
Stars: 1
Review by: KM
Sounds like the perfect summer read, right? Well, no. I just looked at some reviews on Amazon and see I'm not alone in thinking it was poorly written. I was very surprised as I began reading it since on the back of the book there are glowing reviews by journals and other authors for her other books. I only read it to the end because I was curious to see if her writing would improve. There were a few spots that were better and some plot developments that were interesting. But it was rather akin to watching the aftermath of a car accident--morbid curiosity!
The Good, the Bad, and the Witchy
Author:
Heather Blake
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
The little town of Enchanted Village has a lot going on. Someone in town wants to frame one of the town elders for the murder of one of the younger members. The ghost of the deceased imprints itself on the main character and wants her help in solving his murder. Intriguing, fast summer read with some wishes that come true.
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
The little town of Enchanted Village has a lot going on. Someone in town wants to frame one of the town elders for the murder of one of the younger members. The ghost of the deceased imprints itself on the main character and wants her help in solving his murder. Intriguing, fast summer read with some wishes that come true.
Sugar and Iced: A Cupcake Bakery Mystery
Author:
Jenn McKinlay
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
The newest book in this cozy series has our Bakery crew preparing for a new cupcake event in a beauty pageant. Now you know this is going to be an easy summer read when you are giving out cupcakes at a beauty pageant. With all cozy mysteries you have murder, intrigue and romance. The romance part adds humor to the story. The ending is a little shocking, but definitely sets the tone for the next book.
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
The newest book in this cozy series has our Bakery crew preparing for a new cupcake event in a beauty pageant. Now you know this is going to be an easy summer read when you are giving out cupcakes at a beauty pageant. With all cozy mysteries you have murder, intrigue and romance. The romance part adds humor to the story. The ending is a little shocking, but definitely sets the tone for the next book.
The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of Lord of the Rings
Author:
J.R.R. Tolkien
Stars: 5
Review by: BookDancer
Beyond 5 stars, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy reigns supreme in 20th century fantasy literature, in my opinion. It was amazing to listen to this wonderful work on a long car ride. Unfortunately, we didn't realize that my son's audio version was abridged and we were so disappointed to miss even one word!
Stars: 5
Review by: BookDancer
Beyond 5 stars, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy reigns supreme in 20th century fantasy literature, in my opinion. It was amazing to listen to this wonderful work on a long car ride. Unfortunately, we didn't realize that my son's audio version was abridged and we were so disappointed to miss even one word!
The Ghoul Next Door: A Ghost Hunter Mystery
Author:
Victoria Laurie
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is the latest installment in this series and I forgot about the campy humor that runs throughout the book even when some of the moments are very dark. The hunters are asked to help a friend's future brother-in-law who seems to be possessed. This leads the team chasing something they have never come across. Don't forget to read the Acknowledgments. It makes the ending mean even more. Good summer read!
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is the latest installment in this series and I forgot about the campy humor that runs throughout the book even when some of the moments are very dark. The hunters are asked to help a friend's future brother-in-law who seems to be possessed. This leads the team chasing something they have never come across. Don't forget to read the Acknowledgments. It makes the ending mean even more. Good summer read!
Fatal Fortune: A Psychic Eye Mystery
Author:
Victoria Laurie
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is the latest installment in the Psychic Eye series. It starts off with the main character's best friend and business partner being caught on film killing a man in cold blood. Now our Psychic Eye must find the truth even if it means the ultimate betrayal of a friendship. Good summer read!
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is the latest installment in the Psychic Eye series. It starts off with the main character's best friend and business partner being caught on film killing a man in cold blood. Now our Psychic Eye must find the truth even if it means the ultimate betrayal of a friendship. Good summer read!
Killer Physique: A Savannah Reid Mystery
Author:
G.A. McKevett
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
I was glad another summer reader posted about this book or I would have missed this latest installment. The story line is about an ex-cop, turned PI and her crew. She is newly married to her ex-partner. The exchange between the older, newly married couple is funny. So while she is preparing to meet his family she has a murder to solve for friends of hers. It also brings to light that body & eating disorders are not just women's issues. This is an enjoyable summer read.
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
I was glad another summer reader posted about this book or I would have missed this latest installment. The story line is about an ex-cop, turned PI and her crew. She is newly married to her ex-partner. The exchange between the older, newly married couple is funny. So while she is preparing to meet his family she has a murder to solve for friends of hers. It also brings to light that body & eating disorders are not just women's issues. This is an enjoyable summer read.
Divergent
Author:
Veronica Roth
Stars: 3
Review by: BookDancer
Fast-paced and entertaining. Would like to see the movie!
Stars: 3
Review by: BookDancer
Fast-paced and entertaining. Would like to see the movie!
The Market Square
Author:
Miss Read
Stars: 3
Review by: BookDancer
Miss Read never fails to enchant and entertain with her gentle tales set in rural England.
Stars: 3
Review by: BookDancer
Miss Read never fails to enchant and entertain with her gentle tales set in rural England.
Locke & Key Volume 2
Author:
Joe Hill
Stars: 3
Review by: Michelle D.
Continuing story about a family that loses their father. This volume is more gruesome than the first.
Stars: 3
Review by: Michelle D.
Continuing story about a family that loses their father. This volume is more gruesome than the first.
Locke & Key Volume 1
Author:
Joe Hill
Stars: 3
Review by: Michelle D.
Graphic novel written by the son of Stephen King. It has bizarre story lines. Good if you like that genre.
Stars: 3
Review by: Michelle D.
Graphic novel written by the son of Stephen King. It has bizarre story lines. Good if you like that genre.
The Night Circus
Author:
Erin Morgenstern
Stars: 5
Review by: Avid Reader
This book was so good that my daughter grabbed it to read whenever I put it down.
Stars: 5
Review by: Avid Reader
This book was so good that my daughter grabbed it to read whenever I put it down.
Tapestry of Fortunes
Author:
Elizabeth Berg
Stars: 4.5
Review by: Holly B.
I was interested in reading this book as I've enjoyed other books by the same author, and I noticed other members of the summer reading club have enjoyed this one. This is a wonderful story about being open to new possibilities in life. It also does a great job of depicting the bond of female friendships. I didn't want the book to come to an end.
Stars: 4.5
Review by: Holly B.
I was interested in reading this book as I've enjoyed other books by the same author, and I noticed other members of the summer reading club have enjoyed this one. This is a wonderful story about being open to new possibilities in life. It also does a great job of depicting the bond of female friendships. I didn't want the book to come to an end.
Don't Try to Find Me
Author:
Holly Brown
Stars: 4
Review by: bookhunter
A runaway who doesn't want to be found. Hard to put down.
Stars: 4
Review by: bookhunter
A runaway who doesn't want to be found. Hard to put down.
Nightwoods
Author:
Charles Frazier
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Susan G
Only two and a half stars for me -- this book just didn't do it for me.
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Susan G
Only two and a half stars for me -- this book just didn't do it for me.
The writing in
Nightwoods is occasionally very rich -- Frazier truly delivers in
trademark fashion. But the story jumps between bits of beautiful,
descriptive writing without clearly drawing the big picture.
In the end, it felt too fragmented to me. Often I found the pace was
frustratingly slow which left me wanting to just be done with it.
The characters are
interesting but I found them to be under-developed. The author often
alludes to events that happen in the past but never defines the events
with clarity. I suppose that for some readers it
makes the book complex and interesting and mysterious, but leaving out
the distinct motivators that drive the behavior of each character left
me feeling that the characters were incomplete and inaccessible.
I just kept thinking
that it wasn't a poorly written book, there was a lot of potential that
was not fully developed. I kept waiting for the characters and the
setting and the plot to coalesce into something
truly deep and beautiful, but sadly, for me it never did.
Night Whispers
Author:
Judith McNaught
Stars: 3
Review by: 1stYearInTheClub
A good plot, well paced, but just a little over the top wrapped up romantically. A waste of time really, but fun, and good for a long plane trip which is where I read most of it.
Stars: 3
Review by: 1stYearInTheClub
A good plot, well paced, but just a little over the top wrapped up romantically. A waste of time really, but fun, and good for a long plane trip which is where I read most of it.
The Night is Alive
Author:
Heather Graham
Stars: 3
Review by: Jambob
Ms Graham has a formula she repeats in her series of the Krewe of Hunters. These are FBI agents that solve unusual crimes through the intercessions of ghosts. Mystery mixed with the history of the local area....romance and a happy ending.
Stars: 3
Review by: Jambob
Ms Graham has a formula she repeats in her series of the Krewe of Hunters. These are FBI agents that solve unusual crimes through the intercessions of ghosts. Mystery mixed with the history of the local area....romance and a happy ending.
Winter Journal
Author:
Paul Auster
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Miss Lucy
Memoir of author Paul Auster, in the winter months before he turned 64, approaching what he feels is the winter of his life. Extremely personal, he shares thoughts and feelings few of us would share even with ourselves. Written in second person, it's like someone telling you the story of your life.
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Miss Lucy
Memoir of author Paul Auster, in the winter months before he turned 64, approaching what he feels is the winter of his life. Extremely personal, he shares thoughts and feelings few of us would share even with ourselves. Written in second person, it's like someone telling you the story of your life.
Notorious Nineteen
Author:
Janet Evanovich
Stars: 5
Review by: PK
In the summer, I read books for the same reason I go to the movies...to laugh, be entertained and relax. Stephanie Plum and her cast of characters never fail to deliver.
Stars: 5
Review by: PK
In the summer, I read books for the same reason I go to the movies...to laugh, be entertained and relax. Stephanie Plum and her cast of characters never fail to deliver.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College
Author:
Andrew Ferguson
Stars: 5
Review by: Bob E
Very funny and informative account of the college application process and its effect on families. Well written.
Stars: 5
Review by: Bob E
Very funny and informative account of the college application process and its effect on families. Well written.
Home: a Short History of an Idea
Author:
Witold Rybczynski
Stars: 5
Review by: Mary NK
When did "house" become "home"? How did it evolve from solely protection from the elements, into a sanctuary? Beginning with pragmatic necessities, we humans gradually added beauty and comfort until our (cold, hard) castles became our Homes.
Stars: 5
Review by: Mary NK
When did "house" become "home"? How did it evolve from solely protection from the elements, into a sanctuary? Beginning with pragmatic necessities, we humans gradually added beauty and comfort until our (cold, hard) castles became our Homes.
Bossypants
Author:
Tina Fey
Stars: 3
Review by: Mary NK
Alternately silly & insightful, the audiobook read by the author is candid without stooping to gossip.
Stars: 3
Review by: Mary NK
Alternately silly & insightful, the audiobook read by the author is candid without stooping to gossip.
Man of War
Author:
Charlie Schroeder
Stars: 3
Review by: Mary NK
Reminiscent of Confederates in the Attic, the author joins reenactment groups to get a feel for history and war in many countries and times, including Roman Legion, Polish Falcons, German infantry, Revolutionary war musketeer, French & Indian War cannoneer, etc.
Stars: 3
Review by: Mary NK
Reminiscent of Confederates in the Attic, the author joins reenactment groups to get a feel for history and war in many countries and times, including Roman Legion, Polish Falcons, German infantry, Revolutionary war musketeer, French & Indian War cannoneer, etc.
Young Money: Inside the Hidden World of Wall Street's Post-Crash Recruits
Author:
Kevin Roose
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Miss Lucy
NYT reporter Kevin Roose gets behind-the-scenes views of the life of young recruits on Wall Street today.
Stars: 3.5
Review by: Miss Lucy
NYT reporter Kevin Roose gets behind-the-scenes views of the life of young recruits on Wall Street today.
The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
Author:
David McCullough
Stars: 5
Review by: BKF
The book details all the politics and problems surrounding the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. After reading the book you can't help but be amazed that it was actually completed! Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Brooklyn Bridge is a beautiful bridge, and all the more so once you know the back story.
Stars: 5
Review by: BKF
The book details all the politics and problems surrounding the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. After reading the book you can't help but be amazed that it was actually completed! Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Brooklyn Bridge is a beautiful bridge, and all the more so once you know the back story.
Providence Rag
Author:
Bruce DeSilva
Stars: 4
Review by: BigDa
Slowly builds to a suspenseful denouement.
Stars: 4
Review by: BigDa
Slowly builds to a suspenseful denouement.
The 5th Wave
Author:
Rick Yancey
Stars: 5
Review by: Marianne S.
So what happens when the space aliens show up and they aren't friendly? First book in a YA series, wonderfully executed. Looking forward to book two coming out in the Fall.
Stars: 5
Review by: Marianne S.
So what happens when the space aliens show up and they aren't friendly? First book in a YA series, wonderfully executed. Looking forward to book two coming out in the Fall.
The Sun Also Rises
Author:
Ernest Hemingway
Stars: 5
Review by: Julie
Wonderful, fast summer read. So many memorable lines.
Stars: 5
Review by: Julie
Wonderful, fast summer read. So many memorable lines.
20 Grand
Author:
Rebecca Curtis
Stars: 3
Review by: Julie
Okay short stories; I had loved one of her pieces in the New Yorker.
Stars: 3
Review by: Julie
Okay short stories; I had loved one of her pieces in the New Yorker.
The Rosie Project
Author:
Graeme Simsion
Stars: 4.5
Review by: English Teacher
Don Tillman is a quirky character. He is highly intelligent and set in his ways. He has set standards and expectations for his future wife and thinks his wife choices can be narrowed by a questionnaire that he creates. Simsion developed the characters well. I loved the variety of characters and the way the story unfolded. My only critique was that the ending was a bit predictable. You will laugh and cry as Don Tillman learns about himself. A fun summer read!
Stars: 4.5
Review by: English Teacher
Don Tillman is a quirky character. He is highly intelligent and set in his ways. He has set standards and expectations for his future wife and thinks his wife choices can be narrowed by a questionnaire that he creates. Simsion developed the characters well. I loved the variety of characters and the way the story unfolded. My only critique was that the ending was a bit predictable. You will laugh and cry as Don Tillman learns about himself. A fun summer read!
Gone Girl
Author:
Gillian Flynn
Stars: 5
Review by: Passionate About Books
I absolutely loved this book! One of the best novels of the year. It's a thriller intertwined with brilliantly written characters; it's the kind of book that's nearly impossible to put down. The surprises and twists keep the reader on their toes up until the final page, and my first thought upon finishing the novel was that I wanted to read it a second time. There was many times I wanted to just take a peek at the end to see what happens to Nick and Amy. But I didn't. I survived the heart pounding suspense and made it to the end of a very satisfying read. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Stars: 5
Review by: Passionate About Books
I absolutely loved this book! One of the best novels of the year. It's a thriller intertwined with brilliantly written characters; it's the kind of book that's nearly impossible to put down. The surprises and twists keep the reader on their toes up until the final page, and my first thought upon finishing the novel was that I wanted to read it a second time. There was many times I wanted to just take a peek at the end to see what happens to Nick and Amy. But I didn't. I survived the heart pounding suspense and made it to the end of a very satisfying read. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
My Wish List
Author:
Gregoire Delacourt
Stars: 1.5
Review by: BookWorm2
The writing was good and the premise (a woman wins the lottery, but tells no one while she decides what, if anything, to do with the money) promising, but as with so many other books, there is the stereotypical spouse who is a rat. So sad that the second half could not sustain the quality of characters that the first half had.
Stars: 1.5
Review by: BookWorm2
The writing was good and the premise (a woman wins the lottery, but tells no one while she decides what, if anything, to do with the money) promising, but as with so many other books, there is the stereotypical spouse who is a rat. So sad that the second half could not sustain the quality of characters that the first half had.
Keep Quiet
Author:
Lisa Scottoline
Stars: 4
Review by: tandtmom
Another page turner from Scottoline, one of those gut-wrenching, tough decision-making series of events. Story revolves around a family consisting of a mother, father, and teenage son. The mother is a judge and an over-involved mother who is consumed by her son's grades, athletic endeavors, etc. The father is a self-employed financial planner who is trying desperately to develop a relationship with his son because of the years he missed while building his business. An accident, lots of secrets, twists, further complicate the story. Although the topics are tough, it was a good read.
Stars: 4
Review by: tandtmom
Another page turner from Scottoline, one of those gut-wrenching, tough decision-making series of events. Story revolves around a family consisting of a mother, father, and teenage son. The mother is a judge and an over-involved mother who is consumed by her son's grades, athletic endeavors, etc. The father is a self-employed financial planner who is trying desperately to develop a relationship with his son because of the years he missed while building his business. An accident, lots of secrets, twists, further complicate the story. Although the topics are tough, it was a good read.
Just Jennifer
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Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller (Minotaur, August 2014)
Summer in Acker’s Gap, West Virginia is hot and sultry, and
a killer has struck, seemingly at random and the residents of this once
thriving coal mining town hold their breath waiting to see if county prosecutor
Bell Elkins and Sheriff Nick Fogelsong can bring someone to justice before the
killer strikes again. Bell is also
dealing with the release from prison of her sister Shirley, who served time for
a crime she committed to save her younger sister from their father and all the
emotions she has kept repressed for so long.
Add in a coalminer’s daughter who will do anything to protect her
disturbed father and it becomes a volatile situation just waiting to explode. When the inevitable happens, an unthinkable
crime is revealed, but the results are oddly redemptive, restorative and
healing for those involved. The people
of Acker’s Gap are fiercely protective of their loved ones, their secrets and
their pasts. Many long to escape, some
do, never to return, while others, like Bell, feel the strong pull to return to
home. Whether they choose to go or to
stay, Acker’s Gap is indelibly etched on the souls of its residents who will
carry it with them wherever they go. This
is the third entry into a series filled with memorable characters, each one
flawed in their own way, will stay with you and such a strong feeling of place
Acker’s Gap will remain in you long after the last page is turned.
Just Jennifer
Chelsea Cain has terrified readers for year with serial
killer Gretchen Lowell pursued by detective Archie Sheridan. She now turns her attention to Kick Lannigan,
a twenty-one-year-old woman who was kidnapped as a child of six, rescued five
years later but unable to escape the demons that still hold her captive. Kick turned to boxing and martial arts as a
way to release her past; combined with the unique skills she learned while
being held captive (bomb making, lock picking and escaping) Kick is in a word,
dangerous. She also has what it takes to
help locate two children who go missing within weeks of each other. John Bishop, a former weapons dealer,
approaches Kick and convinces her that with his contacts and money and her
knowledge of the inner workings of child kidnappers and abusers, they are an
unstoppable team. But John has a hidden
agenda, as does Kick, and the one thing she may not be equipped to do is to
revisit a past that she has successfully fortressed herself from in the past
ten years---or so she thinks. Kick is a fascinating character: she is someone
who could escape from almost any situation, shoot accurately from any distance,
or throw a knife to kill yet there is an unexpected vulnerability about
her. No one gets inside the mind of her
characters the way Chelsea Cain does, keeping her readers guessing and off balance until the final sentence.
Just Jennifer
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Remains of Innocence by J.A. Jance (William Morrow, July 22,
2014)
Out in Bisbee, Arizona a differently able man is found dead,
presumably murdered, but the ME is out of town for the weekend and no
determination will be made until Guy Machett makes his ruling. Guy is found murdered in his home before he
can come back to work. Over two-thousand
miles away, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts his step-mother has just died of
emphysema, his half-sister Liza has just refurbished the house neither had
lived in for over eleven years with hundred dollar bills she found hidden
throughout the house and then disappeared the night after the house burned to
the ground and her landlord was murdered.
On the lam from what or who, Liza doesn’t know, but she’s trying to get
to Bisbee to find out what Guy knows.
Sheriff Joanna Brady does know that the trail ends in Bisbee and that
she has two murders to get to the bottom of and needs the help of officials in
Massachusetts to get to the bottom of at least one. With as many twists and turns as a canyon
creek, Joanna manages to untangle lies and deceit more than two decades
old. A hot, dusty setting brings Arizona
to life while Jance does the same for her characters, as subtly as calling on
Joanna’s step-father, the ex-ME for help, to show the difficult relationship
Joanna has had with her mother. Joanna
was elected Sheriff after her husband was killed in the line of duty and her
new husband Butch accepts his wife’s avocation and never feels as if he is
living in another man’s shadow. Fully
realized characters and a complex case make this fast-paced read one to add to
a must-read list this summer.
Just Jennifer
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Season of the Dragonflies by Sarah Creech (William Morrow,
August 2014)
Beginning with Serena Lenore, the matriarchal dynasty has
been producing some of the most beguiling scents for centuries. Tucked away in the Blue Ridge mountains is a
perfumery that is worth millions of dollars owing to a signature perfume whose
wearers are hand-picked, sign a contract and are willing to hand over a fortune
for the success it guarantees.
Something is not right, though, with the Lenore women. Willow, the current CEO and granddaughter of
Lenore is beginning to forget things; Mya, the heir apparent is willing to
tamper with the formula for the sake of even greater success, or so she thinks;
the youngest, Lucia, left the family fifteen years ago to seek her fame and
fortune as an actress in New York City.
Newly divorced, Lucia is returning to the place of her birth where she
will learn she has more of the family traits than she realized, maybe even more
than Mya, and may be the key to saving the generations’ old business. Led, or announced, by a swarm of dragonflies,
Lucia and Willow quickly come to learn that Lucia is the only thing that can
save the family business, but at what cost?
Told with a magical realism, Season of the Dragonflies is an atmospheric debut that explores or
relationship to our family, especially the women in our family, and to
generations that have come before and the ones that are yet to come. As Lucia is willing to accept her gifts and
find her place within her family and the company, Mya also learns to redefines
her place in both, and learns what overreaching and not taking responsibilities
can sometimes cause. A perfect sultry
read for the late summer.
Just Jennifer
Just My Typo: From “Sinning with the Choir” to “The Untied
States” compiled by Drummond Moir (Three Rivers Press)
My life is rife with typos and as is the case with most
people, I can easily spot others’ typos while missing my own egregious
mistakes. Most recently, a famous typo
came up while preparing for a weekly Internet radio show I co-host http://hunterdonchamberradio.com/library.htm
We often do a “today in history” and back in June, something caught my
eye. In the second (1934) edition of
Merriam’s New International Dictionary,
the word DORD got through, defined as “Density”. Someone caught it five years later and began
to investigate. What had happened was,
and editor ran together the phrase “D or d, cont./density” creating this new
word. But, and here’s the part I found
interesting, Dord is actually a word: it is a bronze horn from Ireland dating
back as far as 1000 BCE. Huh.
Drummond Moir, who started his career as a proofreader in
London, catching a missing “r” in the word “opprobrium”, has compiled a
collection of typos, public and not so public, humorous and embarrassing, and
put then on display for the world (or at least word geeks) to see. Separated by type and source, the typos rage
from “From his left ear to the corner of his mouth ran a long scar, the result
of a duet many years before. Flight from Germany, William le Queux”
to “Arthur---was serious burned Saturday afternoon when he came into contact
with a high voltage wife. Albuquerque
paper” and includes favorite typos of famous authors and editors (not
necessarily their own). The chapter
featuring typos from children is less endearing as the words are often more
likely to be malapropisms rather than typos.
A fun book to pick up and flip through at random with an invitation at
the end to e-mail the editor with other humorous typos to be included future
editions.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Steal the North
Author: Heather Brittain Bergstrom
Stars: 4
Review by: ADAR
First novel set in the West, present day. Tells a lot about American Indians, their lives today and relations with "the white man". Also a love story.
Stars: 4
Review by: ADAR
First novel set in the West, present day. Tells a lot about American Indians, their lives today and relations with "the white man". Also a love story.
Lucky Dog
Author:
Dr. Sarah Boston
Stars: 2
Review by: pages of summer
Did not like the veterinarian's attitude that pets are hobby.
Stars: 2
Review by: pages of summer
Did not like the veterinarian's attitude that pets are hobby.
Loss of Innocence
Author:
Richard North Patterson
Stars: 4
Review by: DeckReader
A reminder of the turmoil of the late 1960s with a sweet love story and a woman coming of age.
Stars: 4
Review by: DeckReader
A reminder of the turmoil of the late 1960s with a sweet love story and a woman coming of age.
Separate Beds
Author:
LaVyrle Spencer
Stars: 4
Review by: DeckReader
Couldn't identify with main character's problems, but found the story interesting.
Stars: 4
Review by: DeckReader
Couldn't identify with main character's problems, but found the story interesting.
Still Life with Bread Crumbs
Author:
Anna Quindlen
Stars: 4
Review by: Rainbow
It was interesting to see so many different opinions and meanings behind the art pieces. I enjoyed the ending.
Stars: 4
Review by: Rainbow
It was interesting to see so many different opinions and meanings behind the art pieces. I enjoyed the ending.
Defending Jacob
Author:
William Landay
Stars: 4
Review by: EAM
In addition to keeping readers wondering who committed the murder of the teen in the park, Landay delves into issues of how cases are brought to juries and their impact on families - impacts that are significant and detrimental whether the defendant is guilty or not. Honest and thoughtful insights here. Good discussion book - did Jacob do it or not?
Stars: 4
Review by: EAM
In addition to keeping readers wondering who committed the murder of the teen in the park, Landay delves into issues of how cases are brought to juries and their impact on families - impacts that are significant and detrimental whether the defendant is guilty or not. Honest and thoughtful insights here. Good discussion book - did Jacob do it or not?
Fourth of July Creek
Author:
Smith Henderson
Stars: 4
Review by: BigDa
Weird. Disjointed. Sad. Hopeful. And yet it coalesces into a riveting tale. Couldn't put it down.
Stars: 4
Review by: BigDa
Weird. Disjointed. Sad. Hopeful. And yet it coalesces into a riveting tale. Couldn't put it down.
The Wedding Bees
Author:
Sarah-Kate Lynch
Stars: 5
Review by: libraryaimee
As sweet as Sugar Honey! I loved every second of this book. Great summer beach read...and you will learn about beekeeping!
Stars: 5
Review by: libraryaimee
As sweet as Sugar Honey! I loved every second of this book. Great summer beach read...and you will learn about beekeeping!
Gotcha (Sisterhood)
Author:
Fern Michaels
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Saraswati
Starting at book 21 in a series seems like a strange plan, but this book does stand on its own. The story is about a mother seeking revenge for her son's death and how the Sisterhood helps this along. The Sisterhood is ruthless! There are some supernatural things going on along with some very highly unlikely scenarios. It was an OK read, but I am intrigued enough to look up some of the earlier books.
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Saraswati
Starting at book 21 in a series seems like a strange plan, but this book does stand on its own. The story is about a mother seeking revenge for her son's death and how the Sisterhood helps this along. The Sisterhood is ruthless! There are some supernatural things going on along with some very highly unlikely scenarios. It was an OK read, but I am intrigued enough to look up some of the earlier books.
Flora and Ulysses
Author:
Kate DiCamillo
Stars: 4
Review by: tandtmom
I enjoy keeping up to date with middle grade novels because they're fun and light-hearted. This was an adorable story about a young girl who describes herself as a cynic, caught in a very unusual situation. Her parents are divorced; her mother writes romance novels and her father, well, is quite unusual in that he is quite quirky, but a good-hearted man. Flora observes a squirrel in her neighborhood being vacuumed up. Not your typical day. What happens after the vacuum incident is strange, but DiCamillo ties everything in quite nicely. Should be a must read for middle grade students.
Stars: 4
Review by: tandtmom
I enjoy keeping up to date with middle grade novels because they're fun and light-hearted. This was an adorable story about a young girl who describes herself as a cynic, caught in a very unusual situation. Her parents are divorced; her mother writes romance novels and her father, well, is quite unusual in that he is quite quirky, but a good-hearted man. Flora observes a squirrel in her neighborhood being vacuumed up. Not your typical day. What happens after the vacuum incident is strange, but DiCamillo ties everything in quite nicely. Should be a must read for middle grade students.
Frozen: Heart of Dread
Author:
Melissa de la Cruz & Michael Johnston
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
Being the first book in a new series, I didn't know what to expect. The more I read the more I was convinced I saw this before. I really mean saw it. It felt like I was reading a compilation of post-apocalyptic and fantasy movie scripts. The story is about a woman trying to escape from her current life, harder in this future than it sounds, and find the "Blue." The Blue is like our Atlantis. The story had some very dark moments, but I was surprised by the ending. Take a chance and read the book and let me know what you think!
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
Being the first book in a new series, I didn't know what to expect. The more I read the more I was convinced I saw this before. I really mean saw it. It felt like I was reading a compilation of post-apocalyptic and fantasy movie scripts. The story is about a woman trying to escape from her current life, harder in this future than it sounds, and find the "Blue." The Blue is like our Atlantis. The story had some very dark moments, but I was surprised by the ending. Take a chance and read the book and let me know what you think!
Good Things I Wish You
Author:
A. Manette Ansay
Stars: 3
Review by: Ginger
This book has a unique format. The main character is writing a non-fiction, historical book about a love relationship from the mid 1800s. She finds parallels with a new love relationship developing in her own life. You will read an eloquent blend of fiction and history accompanied by photographs and notes from the past.
Stars: 3
Review by: Ginger
This book has a unique format. The main character is writing a non-fiction, historical book about a love relationship from the mid 1800s. She finds parallels with a new love relationship developing in her own life. You will read an eloquent blend of fiction and history accompanied by photographs and notes from the past.
Everything I Never Told You
Author:
Celeste Ng
Stars: 4
Review by: Ann M
The story takes place in the mid 1970s in Ohio. Lydia, a teenage girl of a Chinese American family, disappears and is found dead. The family falls apart as they try to decipher the mystery of her death.
Stars: 4
Review by: Ann M
The story takes place in the mid 1970s in Ohio. Lydia, a teenage girl of a Chinese American family, disappears and is found dead. The family falls apart as they try to decipher the mystery of her death.
Don't Shoot
Author:
David Kennedy
Stars: 3
Review by: maggie
David Kennedy writes of his experiences in reducing the number of homicides in urban areas. While his focus is on the criminal justice world, he forgets that the key to sustainable success are the people who work these programs. Without dedicated people and those who believe, there is little hope for continuation of the initial success.
Stars: 3
Review by: maggie
David Kennedy writes of his experiences in reducing the number of homicides in urban areas. While his focus is on the criminal justice world, he forgets that the key to sustainable success are the people who work these programs. Without dedicated people and those who believe, there is little hope for continuation of the initial success.
The Sense of an Ending
Author:
Julian Barnes
Stars: 5
Review by: Shannan Seely
The book is part philosophy, part mystery and part mid-life crisis. Julian Barnes writes such excellent prose. The middle-aged man's life is changed when he receives a gift from an acquaintance of many years ago.The book will appeal to all genders. While reading, you will reflect and think about what you have done (or failed to do) to affect the people around you. A great read!
Stars: 5
Review by: Shannan Seely
The book is part philosophy, part mystery and part mid-life crisis. Julian Barnes writes such excellent prose. The middle-aged man's life is changed when he receives a gift from an acquaintance of many years ago.The book will appeal to all genders. While reading, you will reflect and think about what you have done (or failed to do) to affect the people around you. A great read!
The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge
Author:
Carlos Castaneda
Stars: 3
Review by: Maya
An interesting yet logically challenging account of the potential for a non-ordinary reality in which a Mexican "sorcerer" teaches the author about the hidden powers of certain plants and animals and how to access them. The author was a Master's student at UCLA at the time. The author describes his spiritual journey and the fears and challenges that he confronts along the way. Not for everyone. Must keep an open mind and/or treat this book as fiction even though it is written as non-fiction. You decide.
Stars: 3
Review by: Maya
An interesting yet logically challenging account of the potential for a non-ordinary reality in which a Mexican "sorcerer" teaches the author about the hidden powers of certain plants and animals and how to access them. The author was a Master's student at UCLA at the time. The author describes his spiritual journey and the fears and challenges that he confronts along the way. Not for everyone. Must keep an open mind and/or treat this book as fiction even though it is written as non-fiction. You decide.
Knit Two
Author:
Kate Jacobs
Stars: 4
Review by: Maya
Excellent sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club, which you MUST read first. A wonderful extension of the story. It will pull you in and want you to keep reading.
Stars: 4
Review by: Maya
Excellent sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club, which you MUST read first. A wonderful extension of the story. It will pull you in and want you to keep reading.
The Hidden Child
Author:
Camilla Lackberg
Stars: 4
Review by: iambetsyw
A must read for fans of Scandinavian mysteries! The narration shifts from the present day Sweden to 1944 when the world was in the grip of World War II. A woman makes a shocking discovery in a box of her late mother's belongings. A Nazi medal, a child's bloodstained dress and a collection of personal diaries. It's all somehow connected to a recent murder...I don't want to say anything further because it will spoil the ending. If you like Jo Nesbo, Steig Larsson, Jussi Adler-Olsen you will love this book!
Stars: 4
Review by: iambetsyw
A must read for fans of Scandinavian mysteries! The narration shifts from the present day Sweden to 1944 when the world was in the grip of World War II. A woman makes a shocking discovery in a box of her late mother's belongings. A Nazi medal, a child's bloodstained dress and a collection of personal diaries. It's all somehow connected to a recent murder...I don't want to say anything further because it will spoil the ending. If you like Jo Nesbo, Steig Larsson, Jussi Adler-Olsen you will love this book!
All Fall Down
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Stars: 3
Review by: iambetsyw
Allison Weiss seems to have it all: a successful career as a blogger, a nice husband, a beautiful house in the 'burbs of Philly,a daughter. What most people (including Allison) don't realize is that she is slowly becoming addicted to prescription painkillers. It starts as a way to cope with her complicated life; a challenging child, a father who is in the early stages of dementia, a husband who is also overwhelmed by life. Allie winds up in rehab and is resistant to facing the fact that she is in the grip of addiction. Her road to recovery is not easy, but the conclusion of the story paints a picture of her constant struggle to deal with her desire to remain sober. Not as light a read as the author usually writes.
Stars: 3
Review by: iambetsyw
Allison Weiss seems to have it all: a successful career as a blogger, a nice husband, a beautiful house in the 'burbs of Philly,a daughter. What most people (including Allison) don't realize is that she is slowly becoming addicted to prescription painkillers. It starts as a way to cope with her complicated life; a challenging child, a father who is in the early stages of dementia, a husband who is also overwhelmed by life. Allie winds up in rehab and is resistant to facing the fact that she is in the grip of addiction. Her road to recovery is not easy, but the conclusion of the story paints a picture of her constant struggle to deal with her desire to remain sober. Not as light a read as the author usually writes.
Rashi's Daughters, Book I: Joheved: A Novel of Love and the Talmud in Medieval France
Author:
Maggie Anton
Stars: 4
Review by: Smudge
Life in a Talmud scholar's house in the early Middle Ages, France.
Stars: 4
Review by: Smudge
Life in a Talmud scholar's house in the early Middle Ages, France.
Air Bound: Sisters of the Heart
Author: Christina Feehan
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is a book long in the making. It has been years since the last "Sea Haven" book has been released. Unfortunately, it's the same 'ol, same 'ol. They are not the Drakes, but...almost just the same...Sorry, but I read this before. If you want an easy summer read with no background then it's ok, but otherwise....
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is a book long in the making. It has been years since the last "Sea Haven" book has been released. Unfortunately, it's the same 'ol, same 'ol. They are not the Drakes, but...almost just the same...Sorry, but I read this before. If you want an easy summer read with no background then it's ok, but otherwise....
Cat's Claw
Author:
Susan Wittig Albert
Stars: 3
Review by: BusyMom
An entry in the Palm Springs mystery series - if you're a Stephanie Plum fan, you'll enjoy this. Albert changed her writing approach in this story with point of view and I found it somewhat confusing until I figured out who was speaking.
Stars: 3
Review by: BusyMom
An entry in the Palm Springs mystery series - if you're a Stephanie Plum fan, you'll enjoy this. Albert changed her writing approach in this story with point of view and I found it somewhat confusing until I figured out who was speaking.
Surgeon in Blue: Jonathan Letterman, the Civil War Doctor Who Pioneered Battlefield Care
Author:
Scott McGaugh
Stars: 4
Review by: Mandy Apgar
A long deserved biography of Dr. Johnathan Letterman, the PA born physician who is credited with standardizing battlefield medicine. Letterman grew up in a humble, but slightly well off family and was able to afford an excellent education despite the early death of his father. Possessed of excellent common sense, he began traveling upon graduation all over the country and applied that good sense to barracks and bases all over. Early highlights included tackling malaria ridden swamps in Florida, an act which caught the eye of several persons in the right places. So after Lincoln's appointed medical adviser left, Letterman found himself, with little actual tactical experience, head of the 100,000 plus Army of the Potomac on the eve of the Civil War. His abilities were first tested at Antietam, where his basic sense applications (baths, not eating moldy food, etc.) on the field cut illness down by 3/4 and deaths by an immeasurable amount. By Gettysburg he had become involved in planning parts of the battles. After the war was over he married, fathered two daughters, and ended his brief life as a coroner.
Stars: 4
Review by: Mandy Apgar
A long deserved biography of Dr. Johnathan Letterman, the PA born physician who is credited with standardizing battlefield medicine. Letterman grew up in a humble, but slightly well off family and was able to afford an excellent education despite the early death of his father. Possessed of excellent common sense, he began traveling upon graduation all over the country and applied that good sense to barracks and bases all over. Early highlights included tackling malaria ridden swamps in Florida, an act which caught the eye of several persons in the right places. So after Lincoln's appointed medical adviser left, Letterman found himself, with little actual tactical experience, head of the 100,000 plus Army of the Potomac on the eve of the Civil War. His abilities were first tested at Antietam, where his basic sense applications (baths, not eating moldy food, etc.) on the field cut illness down by 3/4 and deaths by an immeasurable amount. By Gettysburg he had become involved in planning parts of the battles. After the war was over he married, fathered two daughters, and ended his brief life as a coroner.
Superman versus the Ku Klux Klan: The True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate
Author:
Richard Bowers
Stars: 4
Review by: Mandy Apgar
Stars: 4
Review by: Mandy Apgar
Admit it - you want to read this for the title alone.
Back in the 30s when Superman was created by Jewish teenagers Jerry
Siegel and Joe Shuster, they mixed a lot of their heritage into the
character. Hints and nods to Moses and other individuals are in his
backstory so things seemed appropriate that he should
be chosen a half generation later to take on the KKK. Concerned by
increasing Klan recruitment of youngsters, it was decided to do a 16
part storyline on the Superman radio show about how Jimmy Olsen (alias
the world's worst sidekick) attempts to infiltrate
the KKK and gets caught immediately, necessitating a timely rescue. The
series was written by and done in cooperation with numerous individuals
including a muckraking journalist who the Klan had already threatened
multiple times for doing the simple task of
making them look like idiots. But the series was completed to near
universal acclaim and won multiple awards, as well as to be marked later by
several organizations as a key part of declining enrollment in the
years after it was released. A very good book for comic enthusiasts,
although many will probably agree with me in saying Jimmy Olsen
should've just been bumped off. Would've saved Superman so much stress
in the future.
I Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of Henry Ford
Author:
Richard Snow
Stars: 3
Review by: Mandy Apgar
A biography of Henry Ford, I got it for two reasons - one, I knew nothing of the man other than that he was rumored to have been a terrible anti-Semite, and two, for being such a famous personality of his time little is said of him today. The book does a very good job of telling his origins and childhood in a way that explains most of his motivations later in life. The kicker is that, although the book acknowledges his anti-Semitism repeatedly, it doesn't really explain why he got to be that way. Especially in the light of retelling how his immediate family was at odds in their opinions, things fell rather flat there other than a brief explanation of "he read it in books when he was a kid and the idea must have stuck." So that part seemed rather a cop out granted how often it was brought up. However; when the book is its best is during the time when he was beginning his automotive empire so one can learn quite a bit about early engines, construction, etc. as things are explained rather well. So it was a bad / good situation.
Stars: 3
Review by: Mandy Apgar
A biography of Henry Ford, I got it for two reasons - one, I knew nothing of the man other than that he was rumored to have been a terrible anti-Semite, and two, for being such a famous personality of his time little is said of him today. The book does a very good job of telling his origins and childhood in a way that explains most of his motivations later in life. The kicker is that, although the book acknowledges his anti-Semitism repeatedly, it doesn't really explain why he got to be that way. Especially in the light of retelling how his immediate family was at odds in their opinions, things fell rather flat there other than a brief explanation of "he read it in books when he was a kid and the idea must have stuck." So that part seemed rather a cop out granted how often it was brought up. However; when the book is its best is during the time when he was beginning his automotive empire so one can learn quite a bit about early engines, construction, etc. as things are explained rather well. So it was a bad / good situation.
A Terrifying Taste of Short and Shivery
Author:
Robert San Souci
Stars: 2
Review by: Mandy Apgar
The overall worst of the series I think. A collection of darker folktales retold from global locations, it would have been a lot better if the editor had forgone adding silly urban legend type stories in. Where the book follows the usual series format we get classic stories like The Lutin and the usual one or two really obscure ones, but this volume has several "mad killer hiding behind the back seat" type things and is a small book at that. Also contains a retelling of a paranormal event known as the Dartmooor Terror and the same applies there - it is not written very well having been dumbed down a bit for the younger readers. The art as well is not the best of the series either.
Stars: 2
Review by: Mandy Apgar
The overall worst of the series I think. A collection of darker folktales retold from global locations, it would have been a lot better if the editor had forgone adding silly urban legend type stories in. Where the book follows the usual series format we get classic stories like The Lutin and the usual one or two really obscure ones, but this volume has several "mad killer hiding behind the back seat" type things and is a small book at that. Also contains a retelling of a paranormal event known as the Dartmooor Terror and the same applies there - it is not written very well having been dumbed down a bit for the younger readers. The art as well is not the best of the series either.
Cape May's Gingerbread Gems
Author:
Tina Skinner
Stars: 4
Review by: Mandy Apgar
Cute. Very compact (postcard sized) and hardbound, this contains snapshots of various Cape May area Victorian buildings and a sentence or two of information. Not exactly what I was hoping for due to the lack of extra information, but it made up for it in showing structures not found too often in other books. A nice pocket sized surprise but nothing really past that.
Stars: 4
Review by: Mandy Apgar
Cute. Very compact (postcard sized) and hardbound, this contains snapshots of various Cape May area Victorian buildings and a sentence or two of information. Not exactly what I was hoping for due to the lack of extra information, but it made up for it in showing structures not found too often in other books. A nice pocket sized surprise but nothing really past that.
The Yellow Fairy Book
Author:
Andrew Lang
Stars: 3
Review by: Mandy Apgar
One of the many collections of folk and fairy tales by Andrew Lang, this one I had never read before and although I liked it I think the general reader would not. Coming from a very traditional German family I was more or less raised on the obscure stories instead of the more common ones. Out of several dozen stories in the book I would say only two (Emperor's New Clothes and Thumbelina) have actual name recognition among the general public today whereas another 7 would be vaguely familiar to a more studied reader. I like having the variety of unusual stories, but for many persons today whose knowledge of folk life consists of Disney films it would not be the best book.
Stars: 3
Review by: Mandy Apgar
One of the many collections of folk and fairy tales by Andrew Lang, this one I had never read before and although I liked it I think the general reader would not. Coming from a very traditional German family I was more or less raised on the obscure stories instead of the more common ones. Out of several dozen stories in the book I would say only two (Emperor's New Clothes and Thumbelina) have actual name recognition among the general public today whereas another 7 would be vaguely familiar to a more studied reader. I like having the variety of unusual stories, but for many persons today whose knowledge of folk life consists of Disney films it would not be the best book.
The Bones of Paris
Author:
Laurie R. King
Stars: 5
Review by: Marianne S.
Searching for a missing American woman in Paris, 1929, including an astonishing cast of literati, Surrealists, and Dadaists, plus several visits to the Grand-Guignol.
Stars: 5
Review by: Marianne S.
Searching for a missing American woman in Paris, 1929, including an astonishing cast of literati, Surrealists, and Dadaists, plus several visits to the Grand-Guignol.
Mr. Mercedes
Author:
Stephen King
Stars: 3
Review by: Marianne S.
I found the protagonist, Det. K. William Hodges (Ret.), to be so annoying that I was really hoping for a different outcome to the story. I gave it an extra star for King's throw-away reference to Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box.
Stars: 3
Review by: Marianne S.
I found the protagonist, Det. K. William Hodges (Ret.), to be so annoying that I was really hoping for a different outcome to the story. I gave it an extra star for King's throw-away reference to Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box.
Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators
Author:
William Stolzenburg
Stars: 5
Review by: Marianne S.
A lively look at the work of ecologists, over the past fifty or so years, who have proposed that the shrinking diversity to be found in ecosystems around the world is attributable to the lack of apex predators. Includes a thought provoking analysis of the consequences of a lack of predators here in the land of the white-tailed deer.
Stars: 5
Review by: Marianne S.
A lively look at the work of ecologists, over the past fifty or so years, who have proposed that the shrinking diversity to be found in ecosystems around the world is attributable to the lack of apex predators. Includes a thought provoking analysis of the consequences of a lack of predators here in the land of the white-tailed deer.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
Author: Elizabeth Kolbert
Stars: 5
Review by: Marianne S.
Life on Earth is currently undergoing what may very well be the sixth major mass extinction. The author examines twelve animal and plant groups and species, tracing how human interference led to the eradication of these fauna and flora. Sobering, with a decent bibliography for follow-up.
Stars: 5
Review by: Marianne S.
Life on Earth is currently undergoing what may very well be the sixth major mass extinction. The author examines twelve animal and plant groups and species, tracing how human interference led to the eradication of these fauna and flora. Sobering, with a decent bibliography for follow-up.